From the Judge: The award-winning editorial from the Eagle’s View staff takes a strong stance and backs it with clear, factual information. While the stance may seem more controversial from a teenage perspective, the supporting arguments make the position logical and persuasive. Someone who agreed or disagreed with the staff’s argument would be hard-pressed to not think critically about the other side. The strong persuasive language, quotes from authority figures and researched claims make this editorial stand out. Proofread carefully to avoid sentence-level errors that can distract from the overall strength of your collective voice.

From the Judge: The award-winning broadcast, ‘Nick Dierking’s Career Path: Auto Tech,’ does an excellent job framing the crisis of the skills gap and encouraging students to look beyond the four-year college option that is often seen as the only option after high school. The reporters open up the conversation by acknowledging that a college education may not be for everyone, and that young people should be encouraged to consider hands-on careers. Highlighting the Four Rivers Career Center and acknowledging that the American workforce needs skilled workers is effective, and there are consistently well-shot scenes that clearly illustrate the well-written reporting read by the narrator. The fact that Nick is specifically featured allows students to hear from a peer, in his own voice, how meaningful and beneficial workforce training can be.